Inro-kizami, help

[k morita]

Hi,

Could somebody tell me what Japanese term " Inro-kizami " translates into English?

 

Thanks.

[george trotter]

Hi Morita san,

All these share kanji/meaning

 

kizami : notches......I suppose it means the notches/lines cut around the inro?

hori : carve/engrave/sculpt.

chokoku : carving/engraving/sculpture

 

Regards,

George.

[watsonmil]

Dear Morita san,

I believe it alludes to the carving of rings in the sama gawa much like the rings carved in some inro. ( giving the appearance of being an inro ) ... Ron Watson

[Nobody]

Morita san is not asking what inro-kuzami means. He knows what it is. He only asks what is the proper term in English.

[watsonmil]

" Evenly spaced grooves ". ..... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

The problem is, it depends who/what your audience is. Also, are you talking specifically about the 'kizami' themselves, or the Saya design, the general effect of the Saya? Many Japanese terms have no 'proper' English translation and are used in Englsih, with a supplementary word or two for clarification.

 

If you are talking to people who know about Netsuke and Inro, then you can use the word Inro in your translation. The concept of Inro is quite well-known in the West. You can say something like 'Inro drawer design' or 'Inro section design', or 'Inro sections'.

 

If, however, you want a general audience to understand, but you want to keep the idea of Inro in there, then you have a larger problem, and your translation might include some description, so that it becomes quite long. You might want to say that the saya is in "Inro design, ie marked off (delineated) in sections like in a Japanese hanging Inro medicine container".

 

Or you can avoid the problem completely and go for something like Ron's translation above, IMHO.

[IanB]

Morita San, As has been said, there is no proper term in English. I suppose the nearest I can come up with is GADROONED - which means something carved or shaped with a row of rounded forms.

Ian Bottomley

[Justin Grant]

I showed this picture to several master carpenters' who are remodeling my office. Once called it "ringed" and the other called it horizontally fluted. These seems to be rather simple but "westernized" description for a rather complex word.

 

Just our Midwestern USA translation.

 

Your mileage may very…..

[george trotter]

Morita san, it is difficult to translate...

I suppose "inro-kizami" no sayabori in English would be saya carved in "inro-segments".

In English, the body of a mukade is said to be "segmented"...this looks like inro segment sections.

Just the words "inro-kizami" alone would be "inro notches"?...."inro-segments"?

 

Sorry I can't be more helpful..

Regards,

George.

[Nobody]

I found several examples on English sites.

 

Inro Kizami or inro-like ring carvings

Ref. http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/KOSHIRAE16.htm

 

Inro Kizami(stripe carving)

Ref. http://www.tozandoshop.com/The_Legend_S ... -zs123.htm

[Markus]

I would follow George here, i.e. "segmented", when the kizami notches are wider apard.

For a more narrow inro-kizami, the term "ribbed" is frequently used.